Fedrigoni Group to launch innovation centre

Paper Solutions

Fedrigoni Group is launching a new innovation centre to reinforce its research and development capabilities and to continue pioneering the development and production of sustainable, recycled and recyclable premium papers and self-adhesive materials.

The centre, located next to the group’s Verona based office in Italy, will centralise operations, ensuring collaborations between companies, universities, innovative start ups and users of products and services are seamless, and will work harmoniously to co-create high performing products and solutions that are more befitting of a modern, sustainable and tech optimised world.

The Fedrigoni Group has engineered some of the most advanced technological solutions for speciality papers, packaging, creative communications and premium labels including RFID sensors for smart papers and labels, and durable paper alternatives to plastic that are tear resistant, greaseproof, water resistant and translucent. These papers are made from renewable fibre sources and many of them are made from completely recyclable raw materials. The innovation centre will enable customers to participate more effectively in the creative process. A dedicated area within the centre provides the capability to immerse oneself within the Fedrigoni world by touching the products, using augmented reality and developing prototypes.

Marco Nespolo, CEO, Fedrigoni Group, commented: ‘This ambitious project facilitates a multifaceted collaboration between our suppliers and strategic partners to create a significant impact on the entire ecosystem in which we operate. Without continuous innovation, there is no future. Improvement not only comes through research and development but also through the exchange of experiences and insights between different parties with complementary skill sets. This helps broaden our perspectives to think of bigger and better solutions for our industry and the sectors we serve.’

The innovation centre will consist of four complementary areas for the practical implementation of innovative concepts:

Research, development and innovation – encompassing laboratories for analysing new raw materials including recycled fibres and alternatives to cellulose; machines for testing and prototyping new treatments which minimise environmental impact; printers for digital printing tests including a HP Indigo 7K digital press, and a first of its kind fully automated sample warehouse with over 8000 samples of speciality papers.

FedLab – Fedrigoni Group’s incubator accelerator ensures new ideas can be transformed into highly sustainable products, services or processes within an ecosystem underpinned by formidable partnerships already forged between research centres and global universities including the Universities of Milan, Naples and Pisa, the International Paper Engineering School of Grenoble Inp-Pagora, and the Pulp and Paper Research & Technical Centre (CTP).

Customer experience centre – an interactive and immersive space enabled by screens and ‘touch tables’ providing stakeholders, brands, creatives, graphic designers, printers, converters, educators and students with the capability to design and configure a customised product in real time. Through a crowdsourcing system, those who wish to can also contribute their own ideas and insights to the development of new solutions.

Customer academy – a learning/training and events space for the entire Fedrigoni community (colleagues, customers, partners and university students) which aims to become a point of reference for the entire world of speciality papers and self-adhesive materials and a collaborative space for sharing expertise to fuel sustainable growth.

The innovation centre is expected to be fully operational in Q1 2024.